Reawakening

by K. L. Kreig

  Rom was known as The Reaper in the vampire community. His skills were unmatched, except by his father. His bloodline had the unique ability to absorb and negate vampiric powers. Meaning … if a vampire used their powers against him, he could either resist theirs or they then became his. If he harvested theirs, the other vampire didn’t lose them, per se, but they would weaken permanently. How much, he wasn’t sure, because he’d only left one vampire alive who’d tried. And that was his first and only mistake, which he’d quickly remedied. Any vampire who used their skill against him deserved—and was awarded—death.

  His father was drunk on power. His mind warped with being the Deity he thought he was, but never would be. Early on, he’d wanted Romaric to join him, rule together, but he’d refused. He couldn’t rule with someone whom he didn’t have an ounce of respect for, who respected no one but himself. He’d never wanted to rule anything, so the fact that he found himself in a position of leadership in the United States was a hard pill to swallow for many years. And was a pill even more bitter for his father, who took it as a personal slight.

  But they’d kept their distance, they’d keep the peace and they’d both kept their heads. But now … now because of his foolish decision to get self-validation on something he already knew in his heart to be true, he was back on the radar and their centuries’ long standoff would come to a head. And the only result would be one of their deaths. Hopefully not his. Which was why he’d rejected Sarah this morning.

  Regardless of the position she’d been put in, Ainsley was trying to save his ass and he would pick every nugget of information from her brain before she left. So before he returned home to his very pissed off Moira, they spent the next two hours talking and strategizing.

  He agreed to return to Romania in two weeks’ time. He would not put Sarah in any more danger than she already was, so he would keep this battle far from her. They agreed to meet at The Bar twice in-between in case there was information each needed to share. Exchanging cell phone numbers was far too dangerous.

  Much to his dismay, he discovered that he and his father were equally matched in skills and the only way he could possibly beat him was to obtain the power of stasis within the next fourteen days.

  And the only vampire that could come from was Xavier.

  Chapter 33

  Sarah

  “I don’t understand.” Tears she’d thought were under control fought to break free again. Damn him. He didn’t deserve her tears. Hell … he didn’t deserve her.

  “He’s a complex creature, Sarah. I’m sure in his own mind he has a very good reason.” Kate sat on her right and Analise to her left. When Analise heard what had happened, she demanded that she and Damian return to Milwaukee for the evening.

  “Well, I think he’s an asshat,” Analise declared, holding up her shot glass.

  “Here, here,” Sarah agreed. “Cheers.” They both downed the smooth tequila, sans training wheels. Only pussies took their tequila with salt and lime.

  In the last hour and a half, Analise and Sarah had each had at least three margaritas and two shots of tequila. Or was this three shots? Oh, who the hell was counting?

  But while her mind was now pleasantly fuzzy, the alcohol hadn’t done a damn thing to lessen the crippling pain in her heart. In fact, it made it worse. Whose bright idea had it been to drink when she was already melancholy? Oh … whoops … hers.

  “Damian and Dev will talk to him when he gets back and get to the bottom of this once and for all,” Analise snipped. Analise was good and pissed at Rom for hurting her this way. Thank God for sisters. They’d always have her back.

  “I don’t want them to say anything. If he doesn’t want me, he doesn’t want me. I don’t want or need anyone’s goddamned pity, especially Romaric Dietrich’s.”

  She stood and walked on wobbly legs—okay, so she stumbled—to the window, gazing out into the night sky. It was incredible how much brighter the evening sky was where Rom lived versus here. A pang of hurt caused the waterworks to start again.

  They’d been back in Milwaukee pretty much all day and while she had no idea what Rom had done, Sarah spent it all at the shelter, talking to the girls. Beth seemed a little better today and she’d enjoyed catching up. Of course, she didn’t share her own tales of woe. They just talked about mundane things as usual. And even Jamie seemed to be having a good day, but she still had so far to go.

  “I dreamt of her again,” Sarah murmured, still looking out the window.

  “Who?” Analise replied, slurring slightly. Oh … she hadn’t told Analise about the dreams she’d been having of mystery girl.

  Turning around slowly, so as not to fall, she answered, “Mystery girl. At least that’s what I call her because she won’t tell me who the hell she is. But she knows Rom. In the first dream, she told me to tell him she was sorry, but wouldn’t say for what or how she knew him or even give me her damn name.”

  She walked—walked, stumbled…don’t judge—back to the chair across from where Analise and Kate now sat. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, but continued to talk. “In the second dream she told me it was always me. I think she meant I was always the one for Rom. That one makes no sense at all.”

  She took a deep breath and tried concentrating on formulating words without slurring. Which was proving to be very challenging.

  “And in the dream I had last night she told me that Rom is in danger and the only thing that will save him is me. But only if we’re bonded.”

  “Wow. That’s pretty heavy, Sarah,” Analise said on a loud exhale.

  “Right?” Sleep wanted to take her, but Sarah fought to stay awake. “He meant something to her and I’m pretty sure the feeling was mutual. I don’t know how or why, but that’s the vibe I get.”

  “Then why don’t you just ask him about it, Sarah?” Kate asked. Kate always had the best advice. Except in this particular instance.

  “Because what am I supposed to say, Kate?” She pulled her heavy head off the chair and opened her watery eyes. “Oh hey … my twin says to tell you she’s sorry and you have to bond with me or you’re gonna die?”

  “Well … yes.”

  Sarah laughed, but it was humorless. “Well … no. Not happening.”

  Kate got up and knelt in front of Sarah, taking Sarah’s hands in hers. “Sarah, mystery girl is coming to you for a reason and ignoring her message, however cryptic, is the worst possible thing you can do. For both you and Rom. We all know that we have these dreams for a reason and burying our head in the sand as to their meaning is foolish and dangerous. You need to tell Rom. You aren’t giving him enough credit. Don’t jeopardize your future, or his life, by keeping this from him. If you do and something happens, you’ll never be able to forgive yourself.”

  Every word Kate spoke was like another shallow scalpel wound and tears of shame ran freely. “You’re right,” she slurred.

  Just then Damian and Dev walked into the room. Both stopped to take in the sight in front of them. It was after midnight and Analise had now fallen asleep, or passed out, on the couch, and was snoring pretty loudly. Sarah’s face was surely a blotchy red mess and her eyes would barely focus.

  Dev walked over to Kate, helped her up and took her into his arms.

  “You could have that,” Rosie whispered. For once, she agreed with Rainbow Bright.

  “But he doesn’t want you,” Nancy jibed. She was just a vicious, spiteful bitch sometimes.

  “The reek of alcohol carries into the other room, love. How are your sisters?”

  Kate laughed. “Drunk, as you can clearly see.”

  By now Damian had Analise scooped into his arms, her small frame hanging limply in his arms. And she was sawing more logs than a flannel-wearing lumberjack. “Awww, Kitten,” he whispered against her temple as he silently carried her out.

  Dev held his free hand out to Sarah but she declined. “I’ll jusss sleep on couch.” So much for not slurring. She couldn’t even make full sentences. There was no
way she could make it all the way back to her room in the shelter and pride prevented her from asking for help.

  Dev’s brow raised. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Sarah.”

  “No, no. I’m be fine. Really. Thanks you for being concern.”

  Inclining his head, he laughed, “It’s your ass when Rom doesn’t find you where you’re supposed to be.”

  She snorted. Because really, that was just about the funniest thing she’d heard today. Rom had avoided her the entire day. She doubted he’d even miss her when, or if, he returned. She knew nothing of his plans, where he’d gone and when he was coming back or how long they’d be here.

  Dev shook his head and sighed. He picked Sarah up and laid her on the couch, tucking a blanket over her shorts and t-shirt. “Sleep tight.”

  He turned off the light as they left the room and Sarah fell into a deep, restless, Rom-filled sleep.

  Chapter 34

  Rom

  It was after 3:00 a.m. before he returned to Dev’s estate. Anxiety painfully gnawed his gut like a colony of termites. While he thought he could trust Ainsley, he certainly wouldn’t put his life, and that of his Moira, on the line by trusting her implicitly. Which meant he had to return to Romania and do some of his own recon. Since his father was the self-proclaimed fucking king of Europe, there were many vampires who lived under the tyranny of his boot and wished to get out from under it. The question was, would they be willing to put their lives on the line for a revolt, if it came to that? He meant to uncover the answer.

  Killing Xavier and taking his power was the best possible plan he could come up with, but that fucker had been elusive for so long, what were the chances the universe would cut them a break and they’d be able to get enough intel to put him down once and for all within the next two weeks? He wasn’t going to hold his breath. So, that meant he had to come up with a plan B and a plan C. And going to Romania was just step one. Like it or not, he would have to tell Devon and Damian about his father.

  But that could wait until morning, for he desperately wanted to lay his eyes upon Sarah, if even to just stare at her in sleep for the rest of the night. He’d been a foolish ass both this morning and all day and regret had joined anxiety in his belly, making it raw. While he was steadfast in his decision not to bond with her until this danger passed, there was no reason he couldn’t still sink inside her sweet body and nourish himself with her essence. It had been over two long weeks since he’d fed and his beast was beginning to clamor.

  He felt her in the library, wondering why she would still be up at this late hour. Making his way, he was waylaid by Devon and Damian.

  “We need to talk,” Dev said.

  “Not now.” Rom tried pushing past them, intending on retrieving his Moira.

  “What the fuck is going on, Rom?” Damian challenged, stepping in his path. “You drop Sarah off here, ignore your Moira like a goddamned leper all day and then take off without telling us what the hell is going on.”

  Rom cruelly stared his friend down. What he really wanted to do was unleash a little power, putting Damian in his place. “I didn’t realize I reported to you, D. My apologies. Next time I’ll be sure to review my agenda with you prior to my arrival so I can seek your approval.”

  He brushed passed the two, heading toward Sarah, but Dev’s words stopped him short.

  “I can only think of one reason a vampire would refuse to bond with their Moira.”

  Of course they knew. Damn females and their gossiping. He turned slowly, facing his friends.

  “You bond your life to hers. If you die, she dies.”

  He remained silent.

  “Sarah’s sleeping off a tequila binge, so you have plenty of time to tell us what the fuck is going on and why, if your life is in danger, would you not choose to tell us about it. This is no longer just about you, my friend. With our mates being sisters, we are all intertwined. What affects one, affects all.”

  This felt like role reversal. Rom was always the calm in the eye of a storm. Rom always gave sound advice. Rom could pierce through the haze and confused emotions caused to make others see reason. But Rom’s head was fucked. So many feelings swirled he couldn’t make heads or tales of them and he was screwing up at every turn, with every single decision.

  “It’s a long story.”

  “We’ll make time,” Dev replied as they made their way to his office, Rom reluctantly on their heels. All he wanted to do was hold Sarah, but this conversation was long overdue. And the fact that he’d pushed her to drink herself stupid pissed him off.

  A half hour later, the room was silent as Dev and Damian processed his information dump.

  “So your father lives and wants your head,” Damian said.

  “I would say that’s his preferable outcome, yes.” It had been painful to discuss his family, particularly his mother. And to see her in such an oppressive state just a few short days ago caused him considerable guilt.

  “How could I not know your parents were alive?” Damian asked rhetorically. The simple answer was, only a handful knew. By leaving his homeland and his father, he’d essentially been disowned. Like he gave a fuck. But by returning like he had, and now having been seen by others under his father’s rule, there could be no doubt whose son he was. His father had let him leave once. He wouldn’t do it twice. Turncoats did not go unpunished, according to his father. And it would undermine his father’s power if he appeared lenient.

  “I know we want to burn Xavier’s entire organization down to the ground, but I’m not sure that’s a realistic goal any longer,” Dev started. “I think we simply need to take the information that Geoffrey can pull together within the next few days and find and kill the fucker and be done with him. We’ll just have to deal with the fallout.”

  Without thoughtful planning, there would be many civilian casualties. And Rom struggled with that. How important was one life over another? How important was his life over a woman who’d had hers heartlessly and cruelly stripped away from her by a rogue? Didn’t she deserve a fair chance at life too? And what about the innocent children, who were a complete and total unknown? They all deserved to be rescued and placed with loving families who couldn’t have children of their own. They certainly didn’t deserve death at the hands of any remaining rogues because he’d been so intent on saving his own ass. It was a moral struggle.

  “Let’s give him a week or so. Then we’ll act,” Rom said.

  “Rom, that’s pushing it too close,” Damian pleaded.

  “We owe those women and children a chance, Damian. I will not place the value of my life any higher than theirs simply because I am vampire. I’m old. If this is the end of my time on this earth, then I accept that.” And wouldn’t that just be a big fuck you? With Sarah, he’d got an unexpected second chance at happiness, only to have his own life ended.

  Dev regarded him thoughtfully before speaking. “Sarah feels as deeply for you as you do for her, or she wouldn’t have drunk herself into a stupor this evening trying to dull the pain you’ve caused.”

  Ouch. “And your point?”

  “My point is that I know what you’re doing. By not bonding, you’re trying to protect her life, but she’s already in love with you, so your gallant efforts are in vain, my friend. If you do die without bonding, while she may still be here in body, she will be a shell of a woman because her heart and soul will be ripped away with you. There is no one else for her, as there is no one else for you. There is strength in bonding, Rom. Sarah’s your Moira for a reason. Trust that fate has chosen correctly and, together, you will be victorious. Besides … we have your back and we will not let you lose.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t know your parents were alive,” Damian mumbled to himself, shaking his head.

  Rom ignored him and his childishly hurt feelings. Everyone had secrets, even Damian. Get over it.

  He felt like Dev was trying to tell him something else, but in his current state of mind, he wasn’t reading between the
lines very well. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Dev laughed. “Sorry. Mate code. I’m sworn to secrecy. That’s for you and your Moira to discuss. You should actually try talking to her. You’d be surprised at what you may learn.”

  “Talk to her about what specifically?” he barked. Dev was talking in riddles and rhymes.

  Dev stood, walking to the door. “I need to return to Kate. All I can say is maybe you should ask Sarah about her dreams lately.” And with that, Dev exited the room, leaving only himself and Damian.

  “Rom, I can’t believe you never told me about your parents.”

  “Jesus, get over it already,” Rom growled before leaving to find his own Moira to try to make up for his egregious error in judgment today.

  Chapter 35

  Sarah

  A truck was literally sitting on her head. No. A jackhammer was blasting its way out from inside her skull. Mother effer, did that hurt. And her mouth felt like someone had cauterized off each and every saliva gland. She wasn’t sure there was enough water in the world to quench her unending thirst. But her stomach was declaring outright mutiny. Apparently tequila had well earned its nickname ‘to-kill-ya’, because right now, she wanted to kill whoever poured all that poison down her throat.

  Which would be her.

  Oh. God.

  She was going to be sick.

  Scrambling from the bed, she ran to the bathroom and worshipped the porcelain god until all that would come up was bitter bile. She’d never understood that stupid phrase. There was no goddamn devotion going on here, unless you counted the plea for mercy and a quick death.

  A cool washcloth pressed against her forehead right before she was lifted in strong arms and carried back to bed.

  Bed? Had she fallen asleep in a bed?